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Ava felt a stab to the heart as Mac’s e’s proffered arm, but he didn’t object He stood there still as stone and let her walk away so that he could wait for Gwen She tried to laugh at Gage’s jokes, but her heart just wasn’t in it When they reached her floor, she turned to sot it fro her walk off, his words stopped her "What’re you doing, little one?"

"Ergoing to rin, but she could see a touch of seriousness that wasn’t usually present "Big picture, sweetheart You got ain"

"I don’t knohat you’re talking about," she protested

"Ah, come on, Ava I like you, I always have You’re smart, pretty as hell, and a real class act If not for the fact that Mac would kill me, I’d have asked you out myself But we all kno he feels about you, and none of us would ever disrespect that Now, I don’t knohat’s going on with Dom and you, but I damn sure know it’s not sexual Our brotherhood always co up a hand, Ava warned, "I swear if you say soe sputtered, choking on his laughter "I’m not that crazy, honey That’s strictly afro to say is whatever you’ve got going on, it had better be for real Don’t be trying to go after Mac just because you’re jealous of Gwen"

Finding Gage’s honesty oddly touching, she felt the need to be straight with hiive up Is that what you’re saying?"

Shaking his head, he said, "Well, hell no, that’s not what I’o after hiht reasons No retreat, little one Balls to the wall all the way" At her look of disgust, he added quickly, "Boobs to the wall? That work better for you?"

She put her hand over her rin, as he turned to walk off

She was still grinning when E, "Did that hot hunk of male studliness just say ‘boobs to the wall’?" At her nod, Emma moaned "God, if your brother hadn’t already co that ht about now"

Ava looked around quickly, relieved that no one else had witnessed either Gage’s audacious coed response Thankfully, the hallas clear as she turned and walked to her office door, trailed closely by Emma "Can you please not talk about Brant and sex? Didn’t we set boundaries about that?"

"I know, I know" Ehts about your brother on every third Friday of the month If Ella comes into the office, under no circumstances are we to talk about Declan or Brant naked in any way That doesn’t cover Gage, though So, as that roaned as she walked through Eive Eh on what had happened with Mac yesterday and then this

When she was finished, the other woht for a , "So, what’s next on your list? By the way, you look awesoue when he saw you"

"Uive it so excited, E it in the air "I’ve got ya covered I saw this on the bulletin board at the grocery store last night and thought of you"

Ava took the paper froe print: LEARN TO HANG GLIDE "Are you crazy! I can’t do that People end up plastered on the sides ofup a hand and waggling a finger at her "No, no, that’s the beauty of the whole thing You don’t actually have to go through with it You can go for the free se Mac usuallybefore he leaves Danvers, so I’ll get Ella or one of the other girls to join me in a fake conversation about your newest hobby so that Mac can overhear I’ll h to push hi to actually break your neck Whatcha think?"

Staring at her future sister-in-law, Ava felt a grudging admiration for her deception skills She was both impressive and scary sometimes Poor Brant, he would never be able to sleep with both eyes closed again "That’s not bad," she admitted "It would be nice to have one new fearless sport that I didn’t really have to fear"

"Cool!" Ened you up online Your class is on Wednesday at seven That gives ive Mac the four-one-one on your new death wish"

Ava grined smile Even if it seemed crazy, she was at her best when she had soh, she vowed to hit the store at lunch and buy another ar to need new ideasfast

Chapter Eleven

"I’d love to be your partner, gorgeous It would be ed as theclass continued to spray her with verbal diarrhea Froo, he had attached himself firmly to her side, and nosee to make her unco sexual and inappropriate

Aggressive ers, tended to throw her back to a dark place in her life, and she felt her pulse quicken as thehi her body sideways to escape the unwanted attention Just when she thought she would be forced to flee before the class ended, the instructor called an end to the evening and Ava bolted out of her seat When thelot, she said over her shoulder, "I’ve got to run,on ht she was married, he’d back off